New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-04-17
HET
"a ROMANCE OF TIE BUSHJ


was on some government duty last year IN
New South Wales that took me into the local
Oostofices In the back rarlor at the Gundaroo
postoffice had long chat with the son OF the
postmistress fine young fellow perhaps HUE
over thirty. He was manager to local sheep.
king and rejoiccd in the curious Christian name Oh
Het. The following is his account oil the cucuni-
stances that led to his being so named
I was there certainly but l don't remember
much about it. was told. / can vouch 1or ehc
truth Of 1t, for she and him too oIteh ana o,'e =,
have told it to me and Others. Ihey We uoia ~
apart. each by their two selves. and they oi,eh
tell It togcther-she telling about him. making
him out to have been the hero, end he teliing IL
nil SO that she was the hero-herolne, shouio
fay. But expect each OF 'cm always told IL N
about the same words. You see u was an epocii
like and sort of fixed itself in their memories
and what happened after fixed it fl mr. yet.
I've been MANAGER on this station up oehlnd
here eight years, and was boy here pointing
with his pipe-stem to the floor eight years az
school here in Gundarco till was 1oureen' 30
suppose it must have been thirty -four years ago
near enough. :.
The colony wasn't settled near so much as IL
is now. The coach from Sydney ddnt reaoh
Gundaroo not by three days ride, and the mans
was carried on horseback once week the resi- Vi
the way. After the coach-road for blt-say
twenty miles-the track was good enough, and
there were stations further than that but by ohc
end of tie first days ride You reached the laSt
house or hut YOU were to see I'LL you slghted Jul"
daroo.
I"laddy's Shanty,7 sort Of an inn on the track
The next morning he stalted-all alone. mind you.
with valuable mail-bass-across as nasty piece
Of bush as you'll find in Australia, and suppose
that says in the world. 1t was all u'tree scruo.
NJ YOU know what that is you'll understand Never
seen any? Oh well it's s'rub, that is all ht'le
trees, with their leaves all on the top. All Oh
,cm alike Just too slender and weak TO bear
mans climbing up one to look FOUND; Zoo Iar
apart for you to swarm up two at once, arms anu
legs, you know and yet too close for you 10 see
sun or stars, night or day. That sort Of scrub
is the cruellcst Of all. If You know your way,
well and good but if you once get wrong, Loro
help you You're pushed, a. sure as you're ai'e
Unless you chance on track or come across
camp, YOU may lie down and give it up. AS long
ms your water barrl holds out-so'n you. After
that you may give yourself day or two to ole
in; perhaps another two days, If you're a tough
soft. Your bones II be there years alter Weh'
that's what he had to ride through for hours
and hours AMI hours, the second day: ami ~
night he OUGHT to be about through it, if he KEEP
the track and made out TO fc9ch the open AGAIN.
Then the track was ac;oss q fern gully, Win
creek OF the bottom; and there he canped Tor
the night Then he had an eighty mile Tlde
the next day. straight through the Blue-gum
forest int, Gundarco.
The chap that rode with the mails then was
splendid fellow Standard his name was Too
heavy p'raps for postman, as we understand
EN- but just the man for that work in those days
Ut wanted q fellow fun of pluck, as strong as a
horse and with all his wits about him. Besides
the dangers OF the track and creeks to ford and
the heat and the snakes ct night, there was the
Loneliness. That one fellow, all alone in that
great wild district, riding through the hours In
the perfect stiffness under the sky NO chahce
of seeing a SOUL and probably not wanting TO
neither as things then. II any one did JUST
happen to come across the malcarriers in those
days, it wasn't generally for no good:
He used to say: when a mans got her
Alajesty's precious mailbags, with her own red
seals on 'em, in front of the saddle, and only the
usual number of hands for pistols and reins ana
all he don't care much if he don't see no one all
the ride through lie wasn't one TO poa,t'
wasn't Standard but he had once to defend inc
mails with three to one against him, and trled
for manslauchter, too, for the way he done it, ana
acquitted and carried out of the court on the
Chaps shoulders. They tell that tale stin here
In Gundaroo
The time I'm telling you Of was in the not
season. The ground WIS all cracked and dry
There hadn't been drop Of rain for months ara
months, and lots of the creeks was empty Az
Gundaroo it had been very bad, and the dsOrlcl
round was terrible in want OF water.
On the Saturday after New Years Day, when
Standard left "paddy's SANITY it was hot
wind. awful to ride in. They thought rain was
coming, though.
The boss at the shanty told Standard, as he
liked up his water-barr1 behind him in the saddle
that o stOrekeeper and his wife and child and his
chum, had started the day before for station
where they'd got berth. They had to follow the
t;,ndaro0 track bit, and then strike across the
bush to the station. 1T isn't far they've to 60,
he said, but they're new chums, and the woman
looked a bit delicate. as well as having young
taby to cary"
They've only two horses thcn,' says Standard
locking along the track "unless the third horse
Oew."
NO. saws the boss ."the woman rode behind
one of the men, turn and turn about. A fine
young woman she was, tco"
Its to be foped Il CHAPS adm much else to
carry them says Standard. Il couldn't carry
another couple Of pounds-let alone a woman and
babylon Lady without knocking her up"
"well, you amt got to- says the boss. and
laughs as he watches Standard put Lady into Q
steady canter along the track, where the two sets
of hoof-msIks showed in the sand.
LADY was fine black mare. Very swift
but lust thought too light for Standard and The
bags, some said. He wouldn't allow it, He said
"Shc reaches Gundaroo as fresh as need be OF
Monday night. and by the time she has to start OF
Thursday, sizes wild to be on the rOa1' Ht
only travelled once fortnight on her. The othe
week he rode roam bigger butte. but not hal
20 sensible and kind-like as LADY She was 1
born lady-Standard used to say. Her mother
was Duchess" whereas the roam was the son o.
'"Milxmaid." althoush he was called emperor.
She could have gone the whole way alone. IL ncet
be, he said she was so trustworthy.
Well, he used to tell it how he rode through
that Saturday in the ttrec scrub, thinking of thu
party on in front, in whose tracks he was gallop
ing. II was just near the end Of the scrub, h
noticed. where they left of and started
scarcely visible track TO the station away to tn
left fifty miles or so.
lie used to say he must have ridden coupl
OF hours, perhaps, when he saw something on TIL
track like dead person or horse. lie had nj
han nm 10 as he ted I'm ia he
thinking OF the mails, when he it wasn't
homo or man, but tall slip Of a young woman
dead or perhaps only dying, laid on the ground
with her back propped against tree. and poo
little baby cltnging to her breast
lord Of ALL muttercd Standard, as n